Combined piano-bench and music-cabinet.



G. H. MERKEL & W. LOWDEHMELK.

COMBINED PIANO BENCH AND MUSIC CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR 30, 1913.

1k. 1 91,22 1 Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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WITNESSES 26 lIWE/VTORS A TTOH/IIEV G. H. MERKEL & WLLO'WDERMILK.

COMBINED PIANO BENCH AND MUSIC CABINET.

APPLHIATION FILED APR.30.1913.

1,1 9722 1L. Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed April 30, 1913. Serial No. 764,663.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Gnonon H. MnRKEL and WILLIAM LOWDERMILK, of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a Combined Piano-Bench and Music-Cabinet, of which the following is a full and complete specification.

Our invention is an improvement in benches, and relates more especially to that particular type which is used as a seat in connection with pianos, organs, and other musical instruments, and commonly known as a piano-bench.

In many instances it is necessary to economize space in the room in which a piano or organ is used, and in such instances a conventional music cabinet-although practically a necessary adjunct to the playing instrument-would occupy space otherwise needed or required.

It is the primary object of our invention, therefore, to combine with a bench or seat used in connection with a piano or organ convenient receptacles or cabinets for the reception and orderly arrangement of sheets or rolls of music, whereby the conventional type of music cabinet is dispensed with and a single article of furniture will answer the dual purposes of a piano-bench and music cabinet.

A further object of our invention is to provide a combined piano-bench and music cabinet of such construction that it will not only present an ornamental article of furniture but also one that is very useful and convenient, in that the person playing the piano, organ, or other musical instrument, may make selections of music from the compartments of the cabinet while seated upon the bench.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will hereinafter appear, and what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent of the United States, is more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined piano-bench and music-cabinet constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device, one of the receptacles or cabinets being swung to open position and the other shown in dotted' lines. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken in front of the center panel, with the receptacles or cabinets in closed position. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the device on a line with the upper portion of the receptacles or music-cabinets, the latter being both shown swung to open position. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, to show the supporting frame for the seat. Fig. 6 is a similar view through an end portion of the supporting-base, on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional View through the center portion of the device, on the line 77 of Fig. 3. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of one of the partitions used in forming one style of compartments for the receptacles or cabinets.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In carrying out our invention we provide a substantial supporting-base, which in the present instance is constructed to form rectangular end portions 10 and 11, spaced a suitable distance apart and rigidly connected to each other by a rail 12, the latter being preferably disposed on a line with the center of the aforesaid end portions, for the purpose hereinafter explained. Each rectangular end portion or frame of the supporting-base is composed of the side and end pieces 13,13, and 14, 14, respectively, (see Fig. 6), suitably joined together at their meeting ends and covered by a top-board 15, said frame being finished around the edges by strips of molding 16. The connectingrail 12 extends through the frames of the end portions, for rigid connection therewith, and between said end portions the opposite sides of the rail are finished by molding strips 17, similar to the molding strips 16 and forming a continuation thereof. This base is supported above the floor by means of feet 18, at the four corners thereof, and at the center portion by feet 19, 19, attached to the under side of the connecting-rail 12,

' at the inner ends of the end portions of the base. Rising from the inner side of each end portion of the supporting-base is a board or partition 20, and between these partitions extends a vertical longitudinal panel 21, resting directly upon the connecting-rail 12 and rising to the same height as the aforesaid partitions; whereby these parts, to wit, the partitions 20, 20 and center panel 21, serve to provide the main supports for the seat structure of the bench.

The seat-board 22 is in one piece and extends the full length of the supportingbase, projecting at each end beyond the vertical partition boards 20, said seatboard being reinforced by longitudinal siderails 23, cross-pieces 25, and the finishing molding-strips 24, the latter being attached to the outer edges of the side rails and end cross-pieces, below the outer chamfered edges of the seat-board. The inner cross-pieces 25 of the seat structure are suitably secured to the upper ends of the vertical partitionboards 20, and the latter are recessed at the corners to receive the side rails 23; whereby the seat is firmly and rigidly supported so that the projecting ends will not give or bend. This particular construction provides a piano-bench having opposite recesses at the center below the'seat for the convenience of a person sitting upon the center portion of the bench, and open spaces at the ends between theprojecting portions of the seatstructure and end portions 10 and .11 of the supporting-base structure; said open spaces being provided in the present instance to receive receptacles or cabinets 26 and 27 ,for music, &c. In order that access may be readily and conveniently had to the receptacles or cabinets by a person seated on'the bench said receptacles or cabinets are preferably hinged at one corner, as at 28, so that they may be swung outwardly from the seat. The receptacles or cabinets are preferably hinged directly to an edge of the vertical partitions 20, as shown in the drawings, and the side pieces of said cabinets are extended beyond the inner end pieces thereof to overlap the edges of the aforesaid partitions and give a neater appearance to the front and back of the combined piano-bench and music cabinet.

The receptacles or cabinets may be of any suitable pattern or design, but for the greater convenience of access thereto by a person seated on the bench they are preferably openat the top, and in the present instance are ordinary box-shape. In some instances, as when designed to receive sheet music, either one or both cabinets is provided with vertical partitions 29, forming long compartments 31, as illustrated in connection with cabinet 26 of the drawings,

and when designed for roll-music the longitudinal and transverse partitions 34 and 33, respectively, are employed to form square compartments 32, and in. this latter instance, as shown in the drawings in connection with cabinet 27, the partitions34 are simply narrow strips .across the upper ends of the companion partitions 33. In

I every instance ,the partitions are removable from the recesses 30 in the sides of the cabinet with which they slidably engage, so

that the character of the compartments may be changed when desired. "The parparent, and it will be also noted that in titions 29, for forming the long compartments, are cut away at their upper ends to some extent, asshown in Fig. 8, for convenience in withdrawing sheets of music, and said upper end may be also provided with a beveled recess, 35, to receive a suitable indeX-tab for indexing the several compartments.

For the purpose of holding the cabinets in closed position any suitable locking device may be provided, as for instance an ordinary turn-button, 36, let into the seat structure and engaging a recess or depression 37 in the upper end of the front wall of the cabinet, and in order to automatically move the cabinet out a short distance when the same is released by turning the aforesaid button we provide a spring-actuated presser-rod 38, attached to the partition 20 by means of a plate 29, said rod having opposite heads 38 and 38 the former limiting the outward movement of the rod and "the latter forming an abutment for the spring 40, which is interposed betweensaid' head and the plate.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,

the utility and convenience of a piano-bench constructed to provide music cabinets in connection therewith will be readily asditionto its usefulness and convenience in having the sheet and roll music-in orderly arrangement and close at hand the device can be made to form a very ornamental article of furniture. Furthermore, it will be noted that the seat structure is so constructed and supported from the base that the end portions thereof projecting above T the cabinets will support any ordinary weight which may be placed upon them;

and of course the cabinets are fitted in between said projecting ends and will serve to relieve the same in case any extraordinary" strain should come upon said projecting ends when the cabinets are closed.

Having described our invention, we claim:

. 1. A combined piano-bench and musiccabinet, comprising a supporting-base, a seat mounted upon said supporting-base and havlng pro ectlng end portions, boxlike cabinets hinged at their inner ends be 4 7 low the end portions of the seat to swing in front of said seat, spring-operated rods for moving the cabinets, respectively, outward a slight distance from beneath the seat, and catches for holding said cabinets beneath the seat, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. A combined piano-bench and musiccabinet, comprising a base consisting of end portions spaced apart and connected by a center-rail, transverse partitions rising from the inner sides of the end portions of the base, a center-panel rising from the connecting-rail and extending between the aforesaid partitions, longitudinal rails secured upon the upper ends of the partitions, and a seat supported .on the partitions, panel and upper rails and projecting at its ends beyond the partitions; together with box-like cabinets fitting between the end portions of the base and projecting ends 10 of the seat and each hinged at one edge of the adjoining vertical partition to swing in front of the seat, said cabinets being open at their upper ends for access thereto from the seat, as herein shown and described.

GEQRGE H. MERKEL. WILLIAM LOWDERMILK.

Witnesses:

A. C. SNYDER, J. L'. LIOHTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenta, Washington, D. G. 

